Nikolai Gogol
is a member of the Decay of Angels.Bungo Stray Dogs, chapter 57 Appearance Gogol has white layered, sharp hair swept to the left side of his face. However, as short as it seems, he also has a long braid of hair that often rests on his right shoulder. He wears eyeliner on his eyes, along with a black slit drawn in the centre of his left eye. Compared to his left eye, his right eye appears vacant, bearing no highlights in it, indicating he may be blind in it.Bungo Stray Dogs manga, chapter 58 Over his right eye appears to be a card-styled mask or eye patch. Gogol's attire is just as eccentric as his personality, and closely resembles something akin to a circus ringmaster. He wears a mostly black jacket, the right side being solid black, black and white striped trousers, a shirt with a ruffled, round collar akin to a loose elaborate turtleneck, and dark gloves. He completes the outfit with a top hat with a diamond pattern. Personality Gogol is sadistic and loves to speak in great theatrics. One of his main traits is his tendency to pose questions (often times rhetorical threats) as "quizzes". He's also skilled in disguises, deceiving Tonan as his secretary. Whilst fighting Atsushi, Gogol depicts great joy in fighting and tormenting him, going as far as to capture Atsushi's leg in his coat and leaving it in a separate space in the floor. Gogol hints that his eccentric persona may or may not be real. The side of him feeling no remorse in murdering others is just as real as the side that feels guilt, well aware of how wrong and cruel his actions are. He claims to want to soar as freely as birds do. Nonetheless, both sides appear evident. However, even if he does feel guilt, he acts as if he bears no hard feelings towards Fyodor Dostoevsky, whom he nicknames "Dos". Ability Gogol's ability, The Overcoat, allows him to use his coat to manipulate spaces and what comes out of them. That is, it acts largely like a portal, capable of relocating and moving objects. He can use this to make his hand and gun appear in a space completely unrelated to him or manifest a pillar. The ability works on living things as well. He uses it to 'sever' Atsushi's leg from his body, trapping it in the floor. Its maximum effect connects 30 metres. Trivia * Gogol's eccentric nature likely stems from the real Nikolai Gogol's reputation as a dramatist and satirist. * Likewise, his brutal method of murder stems from the author's combination of realistic and grotesque elements. * Unlike the majority of the characters, Gogol does not share his birthday with his real-life counterpart (31 March). Instead, his birthday is on April Fool's Day. * His ability is largely reminiscent of Ryunosuke Akutagawa's Rashomon, however instead of consuming things in its space, it relocates. * His ability comes from his novella ‘The Overcoat,’ about which the author Dostoevsky once said ‘We all come out from Gogol's 'Overcoat.’ Character Navigation References Category:Male Characters Category:Ability Users Category:Characters Category:Decay of Angels